NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

TOP FUEL Q3

After losing Q2 last night, the Top Fuelers get their second swing at the track this morning under scattered clouds and on-again-off-again sun that should warm the track to meet the performance-inducing 63-degree air temperature. With only one run yesterday and points leader Shawn Langdon not getting any bonus points and second-place Doug Kalitta earning four, he cannot clinch the championship today. He'll have to win the first round Sunday to collect his second Top Fuel crown.

Langdon and the Kalitta Air team didn't make it down the track Friday after rattling the tires, but crew chief Brian Husen fixed that with a solid 3.712. Kalitta went the opposite way; after having the best run of Q1, the Mac Tools car smokes the tires at the hit, but he remains the No. 1 qualifier with his Friday 3.67.

Drag racing's fastest couple, Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett, with incredibly close respective runs of 3.699 and 3.700.

Langdon's run ended up third-best of the frame, earning him two bonus points, with Justin Ashley fourth at 3.728.

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FUNNY CAR Q3

After a lot of hype and pomp, including a starting-line interview with Don "the Snake" Prudhomme, Ron Capps in his "Snake" tribute Armycar and Paul Lee in his Tom "the Mongoose" McEwen Funny Car lined up for a nostalgic blast from the past. With Prudhomme and former crew chief Bob Brandt watching on, neither car made it down the track under full power, but the spectacle was really something anyway.

Alexis DeJoria was the early star in the session with a 3.904 that took her John Force Racing/Bandero Tequila Ford to the No. 2 spot behind Capps' Friday-leading 3.894. Championship hopeful J.R. Todd stayed in the fight with a 3.910 for three bonus points. Daniel Wilkerson also looked sporty with a 3.96

Whereas the Top Fuelers looked great, many of the Funny Cars again struggled for performance, but championship frontrunners Matt Hagan (4.067) and Jordan Vandergriff (4.230) worked their way into the field for now, in the No. 9 and 13 spots.

The bump is 4.43 by Chad Green.

Terry Haddock, who had an incident yesterday that damaged the fuel tank, had a fuel-fed fire again, with his car lighting up just off the line and then crossing the centerline, and continuing to burn well downtrack. Not a big fire, but a weird one for sure.

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PRO STOCK Q3

Some could say the games are continuing from yesterday, because Erica Enders was absent from Q3. It was reported that she was sick, but what a bad time to be absent when she has yet to win a Diamond Wally, which she has made known she so desperately wants to win.

Greg Stanfield rocketed to the no. 2 qualifying position and low e.t. of the session with a 6.515, which would align him with a first round matchup with his son, Aaron Stanfield. And in doing so, nabbed three bonus points.

Troy Coughlin Jr. needs to make up 13 points to stay alive in the championship chase, and Dallas Glenn needs to fall out of the No. 1 qualifying position and no longer collect any bonus points on Saturday. Glenn, though, held on to the provisional no. 1 spot and earned two bonus points. Coughlin Jr. didn't pick up any bonus points in this round. 

The scenario still stands: if Glenn is the no. 1 qualifier at the end of today, earns the bye on race day, and completes round one, he will win the championship.

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PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE Q3/LAS VEGAS FINAL

In the final round of the Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge, Gaige Herrera pulls off the win over his teammate Richard Gadson. Herrera recorded a 6.701 to Gadson's 6.777. Not only did he collect the win, but Herrera got 20 points for it, and four bonus points the low e.t. of the round, which makes the title chase even more interesting as he inches ever closer to Gadson. This could possibly be the biggest win of Herrera's career.

Terry Vance also announced breaking news during the third round of qualifying from the in-house broadcast booth: Clayton Howey will ride the third Vance & Hines motorcycle in 2027

Pro Stock Motorcycle rookie Alex Laughlin can say that he qualified for his first race, after just getting his license in Las Vegas at the Monday test session. It might not have been a pretty 7.577, but that wasn't his goal. His goal was to make runs from A to B and get more comfortable on the bike.

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SPORTSMAN CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATE

Chanse Bullock clinched the Right Trailers Top Fdragster world championship earlier in the day, his first career season crown. The only unresolved Sportsman world championship is in Comp, where reigning world champ Jeff Taylor needs to go two more rounds to pass leader Joe Carnasciale to win his second straight.

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TOP FUEL Q4

With just 16 cars entered, there will be no qualifying drama, and it will ensure that class rookie Benrie Plourd qualifies for his first field. On Friday, Plourd's son, Brad, won the Top Dragster world champ and Brad is on the starting line cheering Dad on. His reward is a first-round date with low qualifier Doug Kalitta, who rocketed to a 3.682, the best run of the final session. Tony Stewart, who won the Winternationals here earlier this year, was right there with a 3.693.

Leah Pruett, who had the second-best run of the morning session, charts a 3.719 in the final qualifying attempt of her career (for now), and she'll start raceday in the No. 4 slot.

Points leader Shawn Langdon didn't make it down the track for the second time in three attempts and will end up qualified No. 6. To win his second world championship, he just needs to beat Josh Hart in round one Sunday. Langdon's lead is 97 points. He'd have to lose Round 1 and have Kalitta win the event to lose the title